Ronnie Few Hiring in Alabama Sparks Concern; Well Rescue; Comments on Lorton; Routley Links; Videos of Moments People Would Rather Forget

Prince George’s County, MD firefighters and medics tends to teenager who fell into an abandoned 25-foot-deep well on Abbott Drive in Oxon Hill Saturday night. After providing fresh air into the well, it took the Technical Rescue & Confined Space Team about 90 minutes to remove the young man. He also had debris impaled in his leg. The victim was reported in fair condition, being treated for the leg injury and shock. Picture from PGFD’s Mark E. Brady.

Breaking news (not really) from Demopolis, Alabama.

Don’t mean to be alarmist with the breaking news banner, but those are the words of the Demopolis Times Sunday evening. The topic: “The City Council will hold a specially called meeting to discuss newly hired Fire Chief Ronnie Few at 6 p.m. Tuesday night at Rooster Hall”. The paper has chronicled Few’s 30-year fire service history, highlighting problems in Washington, D.C., and Augusta.

Report reaction.

An interesting debate going in our comments section over what people think are the root causes behind the problems identified in the report about the missed rescue in Fairfax County, VA. Also in Fairfax County, a new training website operated by Ron Kuley in the 5th Battalion. Take a look. And on the topic of newer websites, there is also FirefighterNation.com.

Routley reports.

Now that Gordon Routley is leading the team investigating the Charleston tragedy, we have links to some of Chief Routley’s previous reports involving multiple LODDs.

Fires from the Geezer.

I am in the New York area and one of the big stories on the radio is an apparent lightning caused fire at a private school in Tarrytown. FireGeezer.com has details, along with good pictures and info on a collision and fire between two trains in British Columbia.

His father was a mudder. His mother was a mudder.

And the rains came in Tucson. And the fire engine got stuck. WithTheCommand.com found this video.

Where have all the medics gone?

No, that’s not a new verse to an old song written by Pete Seeger, but it is a question they are trying to answer in a Pennsylvania township.

Could it get any worse?

Rhett Fleitz is a lieutenant at the Roanoke City Fire Department. He runs two web sites. He is an author. Yet he still finds time to come up with some interesting video. This one is not what you would call death with dignity. BTW, for the first anniversary of VAFireNews.com, Rhett is promising a whole new look on Monday.